Buffing apparatus

ABSTRACT

A buffing apparatus has a shaft assembly connectable to a drill or other stationary motorized buffer/polisher. A stator is fixedly mounted on the shaft and a rotor is rotatably mounted on the shaft, and each of the stator and rotor includes a respective hub and two or more arms extending radially from the respective hub, and each of the two or more arms defines a hole. A pad having first and second holes is mounted on the shaft with an arm of the stator extending through a first hole of the pad and an arm of the rotor extending through a second hole of the pad. The pads are secured in place with a connector extending through the hole of an arm of the stator and through a hole of an arm of the rotor so that the pads are sandwiched between the shaft assembly and the connectors.

CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS

This application is a continuation of U.S. Pat. No. 9,078,513, formerly co-pending patent application Ser. No. 14/206,876, filed on Mar. 12, 2014, and issued on Jul. 14, 2015, which claims the benefit of U.S. Provisional Application No. 61/779,911, filed Mar. 13, 2013, all of which applications is hereby incorporated herein by reference, in their entirety.

TECHNICAL FIELD

The invention relates generally to a buffer and, more particularly, to a modular buffing apparatus for buffing or polishing parts, such as wax or polishing compounds on automobiles.

BACKGROUND

When automobiles are waxed, they must be buffed. Conventional buffers, exemplified by the buffer of U.S. Pat. No. 7,203,989 to McLain, have a number of limitations. For example, they do not fit in small spaces, such as between spokes of automobile wheels. Further, when one component of such buffers breaks or wears out, the entire buffer must be replaced. Therefore, there is a need for a buffing apparatus that will fit in small spaces and, preferably, that allows for individual components to be replaced, thereby keeping maintenance costs down.

SUMMARY

The present invention provides a buffing apparatus which has a shaft assembly connectable to a drill or other stationary motorized buffer/polisher. A stator is fixedly mounted on the shaft, and includes a hub and two or more arms extending radially from the hub, and each of the two or more arms defines a hole. A rotor is rotatably mounted on the shaft, and includes a hub and two or more arms extending radially from the hub, and each of the two or more arms defines a hole. A pad having two holes is mounted on the shaft with an arm of the stator extending through a first hole of the pad, and an arm of the rotor extending through a second hole of the pad. The pads are secured in place with a connector extending through the hole of an arm of the stator and through a hole of an arm of the rotor, so that the pads are sandwiched between the shaft assembly and the connectors.

In operation, the shaft is connected to a drill or other stationary motorized buffer/polisher, and the buffing apparatus is rotated in either direction desired. If the apparatus is pushed into a tight space, the rotor rotates on the shaft and the pads torsionally compress to enable the apparatus to operate in a tight space.

The pads and components of the buffing apparatus are modular and may be readily replaced or exchanged.

The foregoing has outlined rather broadly the features and technical advantages of the present invention in order that the detailed description of the invention that follows may be better understood. Additional features and advantages of the invention will be described hereinafter which form the subject of the claims of the invention. It should be appreciated by those skilled in the art that the conception and the specific embodiment disclosed may be readily utilized as a basis for modifying or designing other structures for carrying out the same purposes of the present invention. It should also be realized by those skilled in the art that such equivalent constructions do not depart from the spirit and scope of the invention as set forth in the appended claims.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

For a more complete understanding of the present invention, and the advantages thereof, reference is now made to the following descriptions taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings, in which:

FIG. 1 exemplifies a buffing apparatus embodying features of the present invention, wherein the apparatus is connected for operation to a drill or other stationary motorized buffer/polisher;

FIG. 2 exemplifies the buffing apparatus of the present invention without pads and only one connector;

FIG. 3 is an exploded view of the buffing apparatus of FIG. 2;

FIG. 4 exemplifies a stator of the present invention, viewed according to the line 4-4 of FIG. 3;

FIG. 5 exemplifies a rotor of the present invention, viewed according to the line 5-5 of FIG. 3;

FIG. 6 exemplifies a pad utilized in the buffing apparatus of FIG. 1;

FIG. 7 exemplifies one pad positioned on the shaft assembly;

FIG. 8 depicts an end view of the apparatus of FIG. 1, viewed according to the line 8-8 in FIG. 1; and

FIG. 9 depicts how the pads of the invention may twist during use.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

Refer now to the drawings wherein depicted elements are, for the sake of clarity, not necessarily shown to scale and wherein like or similar elements are designated by the same reference numeral through the several views. In the interest of conciseness, well-known elements may be illustrated in schematic or block diagram form in order not to obscure the present invention in unnecessary detail, and details concerning various other components known to the art, such as electric drills and the like necessary for the operation of the invention, have not been shown or discussed in detail inasmuch as such details are not considered necessary to obtain a complete understanding of the present invention, and are considered to be within the skills of persons of ordinary skill in the relevant art.

Referring to FIG. 1 of the drawings, the reference numeral 100 generally designates a modular buffing apparatus embodying features of the present invention coupled to an electric drill 102 for operating the apparatus. The system 100 includes a shaft assembly 104 connectable to the electric drill 102. Two or more buffer pads 106 are mounted to the shaft assembly, as discussed in further detail below.

FIG. 2 exemplifies the buffing apparatus 100 with the pads removed to more clearly depict the shaft assembly 104. Accordingly, the apparatus 100 includes a shaft 202 which optionally defines a threaded opening 202 a at one end for adding a shaft extension. In one preferred embodiment, a conical extension 204 extends from the shaft 202, and a flexor 206 extends from the conical extension 204. A stator 208 is preferably mounted to the shaft 202 and secured thereto with the conical extension 204, as more fully discussed below with respect to FIG. 3. A rotor 210 is preferably rotatably mounted to the flexor 206. As discussed in further detail below, in a preferred embodiment, each of the stator 208 and rotor 210 include three arms, each of which arms define a hole through which a connector 212 extends. While only one connector 212 is depicted, it is understood that one connector would be provided for each arm of the stator or rotor; that is, three for the embodiment depicted herein. In a full assembly of the apparatus 100, a buffer pad 106 is sandwiched between the shaft 202 and each connector 212. The shaft 202, conical extension 204, stator 208, and rotor 210 are preferably fabricated from a metal, such as aluminum or steel, or a hard plastic. The flexor 206 is preferably fabricated from a relatively tough but flexible material, such as plastic or nylon, to allow for bending during the application of force into the buffing/polishing process (discussed below), allowing the buffing apparatus to better conform to the surface contours of the target material. The connectors 212 are preferably cut by waterjet or any suitable means, and preferably fabricated from a material, such as 90 shore A polyurethane X.12 thick, or comparable material.

FIG. 3 is an exploded view of the invention without the buffer pads 106. As shown, the shaft 202 defines a first threaded opening 202 a at one end (the lower end as viewed in FIG. 3). The upper end of the shaft 202, as viewed in FIG. 3, includes a shoulder 202 b and a neck 202 c. A second threaded opening 202 d is formed through the neck 202 c into the shaft 202. In one preferred embodiment, the stator 208 is mounted via a hole 208 a on the neck 202 c, a threaded stud 214 is screwed into the hole 202 d, and a threaded hole 204 a defined in the conical extension 204 is screwed onto the stud 214 to secure the stator 208 in place. The flexor 206 defines an insertion portion 206 a which is inserted into a hole 204 b defined in the extension 204 and secured therein using any conventional technology, such as thermal shrink fit, threads, adhesive, or the like. The rotor 210 is rotatably mounted via a hole 210 a to the flexor 206.

As shown most clearly in FIG. 4, the stator 208 includes a center hole 208 a for mounting on the neck 202 c, and three arms 208 b. Each arm 208 b defines a hole 208 c. As shown most clearly in FIG. 5, the rotor 210 includes a center hole 210 a for mounting on the flexor 206, and three arms 210 b. Each arm 210 b defines a hole 210 c.

Referring back to FIG. 3, the three connectors 212 are depicted. One end of each connector 212 is inserted into a hole 208 c of the stator 208, and the other end of the connector 212 is inserted into a hole 210 c of the rotor 210. The connectors 212 are preferably configured with resistors 212 a, as exemplified in FIG. 3, for resisting removal from the respective holes 208 c and 210 c during operation.

FIG. 6 depicts a buffer pad 106, including two holes 106 a and 106 b defined therein. The buffer pad 106 preferably defines a corrugated edge 106 c to enhance buffing effectiveness. The buffer pad 106 may be cut by waterjet or any suitable means, and is preferably fabricated from a tough material, such as polyurethane foam, having a density of, for example, 1.7 to 2.3 pounds per cubic foot. More specifically, the pads are preferably fabricated from a polyester based, polyurethane foam, thermally reticulated with an entirely open and uniform cell structure. The pads are preferably fabricated with a roughness of 40 PPI for scouring a surface, or 80 PPI for polishing a surface. The pads 106 are also available in any number of different colors.

FIG. 7 illustrates how one buffer pad 106 is secured to the shaft assembly 100. The hole 106 a is positioned over an arm 208 b of the stator 208, and the second hole 106 b is positioned over an arm 210 b of the rotor 210. One end of a connector 212 is then inserted into a hole 208 c of the stator and pulled through until the resistor 212 a passes through the hole 208 c. The other end of the connector 212 is then inserted into a hole 210 c of the rotor and pulled through until the resistor 212 a passes through the hole 210 c. Referring to FIG. 2, the pad 106 would be sandwiched between the connector 212 on the one hand, and the shaft 202, extension 204, and flexor 206 on the other hand. The process of securing the buffer pad 106 is then repeated for the other pads, exemplified herein as two other pads, for a total of three pads. FIG. 8 exemplifies an end view, viewed according to line 8-8 in FIG. 1, of how the three buffer pads would appear when secured to the shaft assembly 102.

Referring back to FIG. 1, in operation, the shaft 202 of the buffing apparatus 100 is preferably attached to a conventional electric or pneumatic drill 102. The drill 102 is then turned on and, with the buffing apparatus spinning, applied to a surface in need of buffing or polishing, such as a wax surface of an automobile or a polishing compound on other surfaces. If the spinning buffing apparatus is inserted into a small space and meets with resistance to turning, such as between the spokes of an automobile wheel, then the rotor 210 will rotate relative to the stator 208, as depicted in FIG. 9, generating torsional compression to tighten up the pads to become smaller and fit in small spaces, one of the advantages of the present invention.

The pads 106 may also be readily removed by first removing the connectors 212 from the holes 208 c and 210 c, and then removing the pads from the arms 208 b and 210 b. By being able to attach and remove the pads 106, the pads may be readily replaced or exchanged without the need to replace or exchange the entire buffing apparatus 100, thereby saving on costs of the shaft assembly 104. For example, scouring pads 106 may be replaced by polishing pads, or worn pads may be replaced by new pads.

By use of the present invention, many advantages are obtained over the prior art. By way of example, as discussed above, pads 106 may be readily replaced or exchanged. Because pads are symmetrical, they have a longer life than conventional buffer pads. As discussed above, torsional compression enables the pads to fit in tight spaces. Because the pads extend beyond the flexor 206, the end of the apparatus is symmetrically padded. Rotation of the apparatus can be bi-directional.

It is understood that the present invention may take many forms and embodiments. Accordingly, several variations may be made in the foregoing without departing from the spirit or the scope of the invention. For example, the shaft assembly 104 could be configured in alternative ways. For example, the shaft 202 could extend as far as the flexor currently extends, thereby obviating the need for the conical extension 204 and flexor 206. The stator could be secured in position by use of a set screw, adhesive and/or the like. A different number of buffer pads 106 could be used; for example, two or four or more pads could be used. The pads 106 could be permanently attached to the shaft assembly 104 using attachment techniques, such as ultrasonic welding. The shaft assembly components could be simplified (e.g., shaft 202 and conical extension 204 could be fabricated as a single piece) and could be made using alternative techniques, such as injection molding.

Having thus described the present invention by reference to certain of its preferred embodiments, it is noted that the embodiments disclosed are illustrative rather than limiting in nature and that a wide range of variations, modifications, changes, and substitutions are contemplated in the foregoing disclosure and, in some instances, some features of the present invention may be employed without a corresponding use of the other features. Many such variations and modifications may be considered obvious and desirable by those skilled in the art based upon a review of the foregoing description of preferred embodiments. Accordingly, it is appropriate that the appended claims be construed broadly and in a manner consistent with the scope of the invention. 

1. A buffing apparatus comprising: a shaft assembly connectable to a drill or stationary buffer/polisher; a stator fixedly mounted on the shaft, the stator including a hub and two or more arms extending radially from the hub, each of the two or more arms defining a hole; a rotor rotatably mounted on the shaft, the rotor including a hub and two or more arms extending radially from the hub, each of the two or more arms defining a hole; two or more pads, each of which two or more pads defines a stator hole through which an arm of a hub of a stator extends, and a rotor hole through which an arm of a hub of a rotor extends; and two or more connectors, each of which two or more connectors includes a stator end which extends through a hole defined in an arm of a hub of a stator, and a rotor end which extends through a hole defined in an arm of a hub of a rotor, such that the two or more pads are sandwiched between the shaft assembly and the two or more connectors.
 2. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the two or more pads are fabricated from polyurethane foam.
 3. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the two or more pads are fabricated from polyurethane foam having a density of 1.7 to 2.3 pounds per cubic foot.
 4. The apparatus of claim 1, further comprising a flexor extending axially from the shaft assembly, wherein the rotor is mounted on the flexor. 